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I'm sure everyone's aware of Nintendo's imminent reveal of the Wii's successor, whatever the hell they're going to call it. Personally, I think both Feel and Stream are terrible names but then I thought Wii was a stupid name so what do I know. Anyways...

So at E3 in June the big N are apparently going to announce the thing proper and if any of the rumours turn out to be true, it's going to be nothing short of awesome. We will supposedly be looking at more power than PS3, full HD and controllers sporting 6" touchscreens, motion control, and maybe even the ability to actually feel textures (how? I have no idea, the tech behind that is brain boggling).

Obviously this is all speculation at this point but it's still worth getting excited about. Even if it will eventually be trumped graphically by PS4 and Xbox3 it still has a 2 year or so window before that happens, and where we are right now as far as visuals go, can they really get much better? I mean, noticeably so? I don't want to jump the gun here but Nintendo might just be releasing the perfect console at the perfect time, once again sideswiping M$ and Sony.

I'm just rambling really, there's nothing concrete yet, aside from the facts that it does exist and that it will playable be at E3. Is everyone as excited as me?

THE IDEA OF NINTENDO...
entering the arena with a full-spec, hot blooded console... what's more, a competitive console IS quite exciting.

I'm hearing conflicting things though, regarding the spec and output of the machine so far. For example: YES... I've heard that it WILL be more powerful than the 360 and PS3 are right now, but 5+ yrs on, it shouldn't be to difficult OR unexpected really. However, contradicting this, I've heard that the console will output at 1080i as the highest output (with 720p being more favourable). I really don't know what to make of this but I hope it's just bollocks. 1080p SHOULD be the standard today... with 720p being the absolute acceptable minimum. At the end of the day, the higher the resolution the safer your console is with regards to being future proofed.

ALL OF THIS ASIDE THOUGH...
Nintendo must... MUST make sure that this console does 'an about turn' with regards to it's 'new' audience and perhaps, short term, take it's hardcore audience more lightly too. What I'm really trying to say is... Nintendo NEED to get some A+ 3rd Party dev support and release this console with some, quite frankly, RIDICULOUS A+ titles at launch and non-Nintendo ones at that. Sure, there's no harm in Shigeru developing a 'new' Mario for this new mystery platform, utilising all this new-fangled touch screen malarkey for his own innovative use of new console technology shenanigans, however, Nintendo REALLY need to focus on bringing a new COD (yes, I said it!), a new RE, a new GTA, a new 'GT' or Forza' for Nintendo, a new Street Fighter etc. to entice Sony and MS's massively loyal audiences. And with 'normal' proprietary control (schemes) no less, because PPL just aren't open minded enough I'm afraid.

See, the MS/Sony loyalists (or so they think they are!) hold the Wii and Nintendo with contempt. On the other hand, the Wii has had great success with your mother, grandparents, girlfriend etc i.e. with a not so loyal and disposable audience. People who no doubt disposed of the Wii after owning it for less than a year after Wii bowling wore thin, or when Wii Fit gave way to the boyfriends 360's Kinect last Xmas. The only PPL most probably with a Wii are in actual fact open-minded gamers and Nintendo fanboys.

Somehow, this new console NEEDS to appeal to EVERYONE! It's going to be a mammoth task, however, I truly believe the success will lie this time around with trying to lure the MS & Sony boys away from their new found loyalty and to come home. The LAST thing Nintendo want is a 'Dreamcast', and if they're self indulgent (again) and launch a perfectly capable console WITHOUT the necessary 3rd party support, there's a chance that they could well end up with a SEGA equivalent. Unlike SEGA, they need to get over themselves IF they want to succeed this gen. Hopefully them jumping the gun on the worlds 'need' for a 3D handheld DS will shake their complacent selves up a bit... I hope.

LIKE SHINY HAS...
already alluded to, you do have to wonder? Do Nintendo know something everybody else doesn't? Lets' face it, selling the ageing GC architecture back to the public as a family orientated motion controlled, non graphics-orientated console was a work of genius. As such, Nintendo ARE genius. They always have been... MORE so than SEGA I'm afraid. Nintendo have always known how to deliver outstanding home console videogame experiences, something which SEGA have never really achieved. SEGA, by contrast are however, one of the FEW kings of the arcade game - if not T H E King? And it shows, as SEGA have NEVER had a truly successful home console, unlike Nintendo - with the Wii, SNES, NES, GB etc. When the requirement for stunning Arcade conversions/games for the home died (around the mid-late 90's) so did SEGA's home console market.

As with SEGA's demise, I feel this 'new era' of home console market MAY have put an end to the requirement, NOT of Nintendo's innovation or presence, but perhaps the need for it's OWN games. There's nothing to suggest that there isn't a market for Nintendo's own titles, however, I feel that Nintendo now need to place the importance moreso on getting amazing titles to launch with their new console to guarantee a base for any lasting success. This time around, a new Mario, Zelda and PilotWings just won't cut it. As such, I feel Nintendo's inhouse dev success probably lies with the DS's for the foreseeable future. Sad, but true I feel.

Sorry to ramble on, but I simply feel that Nintendo need to man the f*ck up if they hope to succeed in the big bad world of 'next gen'. They REALLY need to sell themselves, play and even out do M$ and Sony at their own game - proving once again that Nintendo can TRULY reign supreme - not another DC launching with PenPen, Sonic Adventure and lacklustre arcade ports of VF3 and SR2...

SEGA have NEVER had a truly successful home console, unlike Nintendo - with the Wii, SNES, NES, GB etc.

. i was actually thinking that the other night. the megadrive was as close as Sega came but despite being very successful in the West it didnt take off nearly so well in it's home terroritory. its quite surprising that they never really had a true massmarket console

im excited about the new Nintendo, but i have the same concerns as Ninja. Nintendo's market with the Wii has very much been the family market. and to be completly honest even the idea of another Mario kart or Feel Sports actually makes me feel a bit sick (I loved the original Mario Kart btw). so i really hope they start on some new franchises for this console, and we dont just get a load of Wii Sports type games but with 'feeling' included.

recently sony and microsoft seem to be aiming towards a 2015 date. the 360 and PS3 are still both doing very well and still have a way to go before they max out so this seemed logical. so yes Nintendo could well be launching a console at a time when the videogame audience has been traditionally used to switching to a new console (5 years after the prev gen). and this could be to their advantage. i wonder if i could be owning a Nintendo console again as my main console? it had to happen sometime i guess...

surely this console has to be in 3D too? full body motion control with headsets and the gimmick of the moment would equal success imo

A console is only as good as it's games so you're absolutely right, Ninja, it needs heavy 3rd party support and some big big names if it's going to eat into the PS3 userbase. But, saying that, I'd take a new Metroid Prime game over a CoD or a Gears of Yawn clone any and every day of the week. It always makes me laugh when folk say they don't want more Mario or Zelda because it's more of the same, and then they're off out to but yet another FPS that's identical to the other 20 they have. Sadly, if Nintendo want some of that market they need those games running at an equal or higher level.

Remember though, this is Nintendo. It's going to do something special, not just take on the competition by matching horsepower, it's not their way, they always bring something new to the table. This will be no different. And they're not likely to abandon their Wii customers either, they still see themselves as a family oriented company, so as you say, it will have to appeal to everyone. And their mum.

Oh, and there's rumours it will look like a SNES. Perhaps a visual reminder of when they were king and a statement that they intend to be again. Maybe I'm reading too much into that.

In any case, only an idiot would bet against Nintendo pulling this off.

NeoGeoNinja wrote:
jumping the gun on the worlds 'need' for a 3D handheld DS

Jump the gun? Surely you jest. The 3DS is brilliant.
Edited by Shiny on 09. May 2011 18:04

Oh, and there's rumours it will look like a SNES. Perhaps a visual reminder of when they were king and a statement that they intend to be again. Maybe I'm reading too much into that.

In any case, only an idiot would bet against Nintendo pulling this off.

I hope you're referring to Nintendo making it look like an SNES or appealing to a wide audience and not to them being king again. I highly doubt Nintendo has the slightest chance of ruling the roost in the foreseeable future.

Why?
First of all, gaming is on the decline in Japan. Revenue is WAY down. The Japanese are a rapidly aging society and grandma and grandpa aren't about to get into serious gaming. I'm very skeptical that N's going to see the kind of marketing success on the scale of what they pulled of this generation. And let's be honest... though the critics love to gush over whatever new idea, console, or Metroid the big N farts onto their laps, Sony and Microsoft have the hearts and minds of the North American core gaming audience because they're giving them what they want. N isn't apparently interested in thinking along those terms and that attitude has cemented them as the Apple of console makers: looks great when you buy it but never gets used.

In a way, I'll hope what I always hope for Nintendo... that they go near bankrupt. I'm sick of them selling consoles and not games and a console generation where they are in serious dire straights is, I believe, the only way that shit is going to change. It would be nice if they spent the kind of money they do on marketing and research instead on getting publishing rights and making some freaking games. On the other hand, I feel it's inevitable that they eventually sink into gaming obscurity and feel pity for the potential loss of innovation. Mixed feelings...

boogiepop wrote:
Sony and Microsoft have the hearts and minds of the North American core gaming audience because they're giving them what they want.

Clearly my thumb is not on the pulse of America because more grey and brown FPS balaclavathons is the last thing I want. And at some point this marine fad will end, just like the fighter fad, the scrolling beat 'em up fad, the platformer fad and the shmup fad before it... I think M$ especially have underestimated just how fickle gamers are. Sure, they love all this super-serious macho crap now but when they drop it, and they will, they'll drop it like it's on fire, and M$ with it.

i agree i dont want more grey and brown marine franchises but to be fair Nintendo is just doing the same thing with its more brightly coloured franchises. - rehashing them ad infinitum but using a different control interface or improving the graphics each time . all these franchises like F-Zero, Pilot Wings, Starfox, Mario, Mario kart, Zelda, Metroid originated or were arguably at their peak in the SNES days. have they really moved on a huge amount?, sure they are good games but i want something fresh. how long will people want to keep playing these games over and over again? thats why i said the thought of another mario kart makes me feel sick - over familiarity. i cant deny i would like another F-Zero but i really hope they come up with some new classic franchises rather than just endlessly remaking the old ones. my question is will they do this now they have a big casual audience?

i remember Microsoft saying Kinnect was selling itself because non-games people - families etc were seeing it in shops and bought it on an impulse buy. it was the same with the Wii - hugely so, but the Wii had the lowest Attach-Rate (how many games that are bought per console owned) for any console in this generation. This worries me because i think all the console manufactures are aiming for the massmarket now, leaving us more traditional gamers behind. seriously why spend a fortune developing on a new Bioshock or GTA game when you can make Brain Training for minimal costs and make an absolute fortune selling it to the general public?

however i think Nintendo has a better grasp than any of the main console manufacturers on how to sell a console on innovation alone, and its games really do have special touches in them, which show care and attention beyond many developers, so i think there is good reason to be optimistic until proved otherwise.
Edited by RiKo on 10. May 2011 23:05

boogiepop wrote:
Sony and Microsoft have the hearts and minds of the North American core gaming audience because they're giving them what they want.

Clearly my thumb is not on the pulse of America because more grey and brown FPS balaclavathons is the last thing I want. And at some point this marine fad will end, just like the fighter fad, the scrolling beat 'em up fad, the platformer fad and the shmup fad before it... I think M$ especially have underestimated just how fickle gamers are. Sure, they love all this super-serious macho crap now but when they drop it, and they will, they'll drop it like it's on fire, and M$ with it.

I was referring to things like online play, high-end hardware, and software that will exploit it. If Nintendo really does have a serious next-gen system this time around, then it's a step in the right direction. As for the fps genre being a fad... these are the same people that still play Madden, aren't they?
Edited by boogiepop on 11. May 2011 00:10

I think perhaps my despise for this generation matches yours for Nintendo. I cannot stand the 360 generation of games, it got old so so quickly for me, and I'm practically on my knees begging for the big N to save us from it.

I have to disagree on the rehashing of Nintendo's franchises, the evolution of Mario is massive. Has it moved on a huge amount? From World to Galaxy? Zelda, likewise, from Link to the Past to Skyward Sword? I think people dismiss the games as more of the same without bothering to actually find out. You have a point with Mario Kart though, I'm so done with fucking Mario Kart. Metroid, however, I hope never goes away.

I guess the simple fact is that N still make games I actually want to play whereas the 360 scene bores me to tears. From the sounds of it, I guess you guys feel the opposite way. It's a good job both sides of that coin exist.

It's gonna take a lot from Nintendo to make me want to buy a new system from them again. I have expressed my negative feelings towards the Wii in the past so I don't feel like going into too much detail here. Basically, waggle more often than not ruins games that would have been great otherwise.

On the other hand I loved my Gamecube. But that was mostly because I bought it before I had an XBox or PS2 because it was cheaper. I look at my GC collection now and I own exactly four exclusive games, only one of which is first party.

I'm reserving judgement until we hear more at E3, I'm just saying it feels like I've out grown Nintendo. Hopefully Project Cafe changes my mind.

Shiny wrote:
I think perhaps my despise for this generation matches yours for Nintendo. I cannot stand the 360 generation of games, it got old so so quickly for me, and I'm practically on my knees begging for the big N to save us from it.

I have to disagree on the rehashing of Nintendo's franchises, the evolution of Mario is massive. Has it moved on a huge amount? From World to Galaxy? Zelda, likewise, from Link to the Past to Skyward Sword? I think people dismiss the games as more of the same without bothering to actually find out. You have a point with Mario Kart though, I'm so done with fucking Mario Kart. Metroid, however, I hope never goes away.

I guess the simple fact is that N still make games I actually want to play whereas the 360 scene bores me to tears. From the sounds of it, I guess you guys feel the opposite way. It's a good job both sides of that coin exist.

Shiny + Wavelength = NeoGeoNinja 100%

Granted, it's not how I would have written it... but the points made: 100% behind them. Especially regarding Samus and MarioKart - MORE of the former, NONE of the latter

Shiny - i suppose what i really meant was that all those franchises were created or already existed in the SNES days. i cant understand why Nintendo (of all companies) hasnt managed to create a new one, something fresh. i agree the new versions of these games are in most cases very good, and yes you are right about Mario. but it doesnt excite me anymore when i hear about a new version of Zelda or PilotWings or whatever. i mean Zelda has been in 3D since OOT, fair enough that was exciting, but not so much now. thats why i want something new from Nintendo but not another Dogz or Wii Sports or Wii Music. (not that those games dont have their place). the trouble with Nintendo is that they dont have the same level of third-party support (as Ninja said earlier) so if you dont happen to want another Zelda or Pilotwings or whatever there's not there's not the same number of games from other developers to get excited by. so yes i hope they get this right this time.

as for the 360 scene, i do find it quite dull in that sense, but its not like MS is saying to developers "just make Space Marine FPS, Zombie games and games a bit like Burnout" the developers can make whatever games they want, its just they are choosing to make those games because of the current market and they play it safe because the huge cost of financing a videogame means they have to. i mean they have all the big Japanese devlopers like Capcom, Sega, Namco and Konami making games. what else can they do? i think you find a lot of creativity in download games these days, because of the small team sizes and lower costs. some of of my favourite games on 360 are Outrun 2 HD, Limbo, Trials, Geometry Wars 2, and Space Giraffe - these are all download games.

i dont have any console brand loyalty as such although i probably do have a slight natural bias to 360 at moment just because i own one. i have actually changed manufacturers most generations (i went from Nintendo to Sony to Sega to MS) . so i would def buy this Nintendo if it meets expectations. it would be good to be back with Nintendo in a way actually.....

Mojo - my gamecube was an auxillary console really and i mainly only have it now for RE4 and F-Zero. i got it after PS2 and Xbox so i that is probably partly why i dont value it as much. really nice hardware though.

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